Training Ground Notebook: Atlanta United Reshuffles Behind Muyumba, Waits on a DP, Heads to Minnesota

Atlanta United was back on the training ground yesterday, turning the page to Minnesota United. The mood, Cooper Sanchez said, was not about celebrating three points at home. It was about making the performance carry over to tonight in St. Paul.

"I think it's always positive because we know what we can do on the field," Sanchez said Tuesday. "It was obviously great to get three points at home, in front of our fans. So the move going into the game tomorrow is to go get another three points and not take our foot off the gas. Not be satisfied with those three points, but keep going and keep building momentum."

The Muyumba Reshuffle

The biggest tactical thread out of media this week is what Atlanta does with Tristan Muyumba. He has been pushed further up the field, and it has changed the shape of the team behind him.

Tata Martino was matter of fact about the tradeoff.

"There's something that's beyond dispute," Martino said. "Tristan played in the spot that's natural for him, and in the defensive midfield spot we put in a player who, even though he's young, is used to playing there. The same thing happens with Will. When Will plays, he's also a player who's used to playing in that defensive midfield spot."

First start for Adrian Gill Saturday night and his presence allowed Tristan Muyumba to impact the match higher up the field. (photo: Vanessa Angel for the SDH Network)

That young player is Adrian Gill. With Will Reilly questionable for tonight, an ankle injury suffered in Friday's training session before the Red Bulls match, Gill's confidence in that deeper spot matters more heading into Minnesota. He impressed in his MLS debut against Red Bulls, and now gets an immediate chance to build on it in Minnesota.

What the swap buys Atlanta going forward is what Martino wants from Muyumba in the first place.

"We all know Tristan has a lot of qualities to get forward toward the opposing goal, to handle the ball, to get much more involved in the team's attacking play," Martino said.

Sanchez, who has spent the year running himself into the ground pressing on his own, felt the shift right away in how the front line connects.

"I think it's just a different role for him than what he's been doing the whole year. I think he's great in that position, we've seen it in the past at this club," Sanchez said. "It's great to play with him in those spaces, to combine with him. He's finding goals and assists now to his game. I think it's overall good for the team."

When asked about the midfield trio from Saturday, Sanchez said the chemistry has started to look automatic.

"I think it's just the understanding of each other. We're always together in training, and I think we're all technically competent, so we know how to play with each other," Sanchez said. "Adrian finding me between the lines and stuff like that. I think it's just always looking for each other, finding ways to combine, and it's something that's going to help the team."

Playing Without the Ball

Atlanta wants to control matches through possession, but the last two performances have not always allowed for that, and Sanchez said the team is starting to make peace with it.

"There's balances of what team we're playing against as well. If Red Bulls are going to come out and press us high up the pitch and leave three v three at the back, then why not take advantage of that and go route one and play three v three," Sanchez said. "I think that's what we want, and we need to be comfortable not having the ball at times, sitting behind and defending, the dirty work in a sense. I think we've gotten better at that, and that's why, ultimately, we're getting results now."

Martino traced that same discipline back to the way Atlanta conceded against Red Bulls, early and against the run of the game plan, without it changing how the team approached the rest of the match.

"When you have a roster, a team with a clear idea, there's no reason for the circumstances of a game to make you change it," Martino said. "Especially the other day, when Red Bull's goal came very early, the pursuit has to be the same, because ultimately we prepare for matches to go out and chase the result. I think that was a good aspect of the team, especially that we didn't come apart defensively."

The Injury Picture

Jay Fortune was the first name asked about at Martino's session. The answer for now is simply "we're waiting," with the timeline described as three to four weeks. Reilly remains questionable with the recent ankle injury. On the more encouraging side, Paulo Díaz is traveling with the group to Minnesota, giving Martino another center back option as the club continues to integrate him.

Still Hunting Reinforcements

Muyumba and Fafa Picault scored the goals in Saturday's win. (photo: Vanessa Angel for the SDH Network)

Atlanta has an open Designated Player spot since Emmanuel Latte Lath's departure, and Martino was asked directly about where that search stands with Chris Henderson and Mauricio Culebro.

"I'd say we're doing well, we're on track for the time we have ahead of us, on track according to MLS's timeline, not the team's timeline," Martino said. "Clearly, this window, these three matches, was a stretch where we had hoped to be able to add another player, and the way things are going, I don't think we're going to get one [for this stretch of matches]."

The two injuries have only tightened the squad further in the meantime.

"If you add to that the fact that we've had two injuries, we're finding ourselves with less player availability rather than more," Martino said. "But you more or less know the league and everything the protocol side means, the paperwork. Everything that has to happen between agreeing to terms with a player and the moment that player is actually able to play, it's very tedious, it takes a long time."

That frustration turned into the best line of the day. Martino, mid answer, cracked a joke about how the wait must look from Mauricio Amaro's side, as he awaits his visa to be able to join the group on the field.

"These days I keep telling Mauricio [Amaro], because he's going to think, no, in the end we never actually signed him," Martino said with a laugh.

Amaro's arrival remains on hold, and reports continue to circulate about Breel Embolo as a potential target, but Atlanta takes the momentum it created on Saturday to the Twin Cities in search of points on the road tonight. Listen to our call on 92.9 The Game starting at 7:30 p.m. with Jon Nelson and Abe Gordon on the Five Stripes Countdown before Mike Conti and I take over for the call, with kickoff set for 8:40 p.m.